Fountain pen and filler



y 1935- G. H. OSTERHOUT 2,001,263

' FOUNTAIN PEN AND FILLER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 19, 19:54

Snoentor Gttomegs'.

G. H. OSTERHOUT 2,001,263 FOUNTAIN PEN AND FILLER I May 14, 1935.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 19, 1934 ig g (Ittomeg no working parts such Patented May 14, 1935 UNITED STATES Corps, Parris Island,

Application December 19, 1934, Serial No. 758,297

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in fountain pens and fillers, and has for an object to provide an improved pen that functions solely by the action of natural laws, and requires as a rubber sack, tube,

plunger rods, and the like;

Another object of the invention is to provide a pen that may be readily and easily filled without danger of damaging the nib or soiling of the barrel parts with the writing fluid.-

A further object of the invention is to provide a pen of extremely simple and economical construction having an easy and correct fiow of the writing fluid without the possibility of sweating or flooding.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a pen that may be readily taken apart by the average person to clean the barrel and other parts.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a combined special form of pen and special form of receptacle or stopper for such receptacle, in which the filling of the pen is rendered a much easier and more cleanly operation.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved fountain pen shown as introduced into the improved receptacle illustrated in section.

Figure 2 is an enlarged side view of the end plug, feeder and nib.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section taken through the same.

Figure 4 is an end view of the plug.

Figure 5 is a cross section taken on the line 55 in Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the feeding member.

Figure 7 is a similar view of the pin.

Figure 8 is a view of a modified form of receptacle inverted. Figure 9 is a similar view showing the pen point as about to be introduced into the small opening of the inverted receptacle.

Figure 10 is a side elevation of pen and receptacle in the act of emptying the barrel.

Figure 11 shows the pen point penetrating the film of ink in the small opening in the inverted receptacle.

Figure 12 is a longitudinal section taken through the pen with the pin removed, and showing the method of emptying the barrel.

Figure 13 is an enlarged sectional view showing the principle of operation when filling the pen.

The base section or particularly to the drawings, i5 designates the barrel of the pen. The cap of the pen, which is not shown, may be of the ordinary and customary type now in common use. end plug is represented at I 6, and is shown more particularly in Figures 2 to 5 inclusive. The base section is formed with a screw threaded neck I! adapted to be screwed into the barrel l5, as shown in Figures 11 and 12, although the same might be otherwise mounted in such barrel. However if so-desired the base section may be made as part and integral to the barrel, eliminating the necessity for a separate unit of this nature. The plug it is hollow to receive therein the feed device i 8, which feed device has a feed groove I 9, over which the pen point or nib 20 is secured in the usual way, and an air breathing passage 2 I; The relation between the feed groove l9 and air passage H is shown in Figure 4. The air passage 2|, as shown more particularly in Figure 6, terminates short of the outer end of the feed member l 8, and a groove 22 may form a prolongation or extension of the passage 2! for the purpose of guiding a pin 23, shown in Figure 7, into the passage 2!. Such pin has a locking lug 24 extending at right angles thereto for the purpose of being turned into a locking notch 25 in the feed member l8, such notch being shown in Figure 6. The air passage 2| is of relatively large diameter. as compared with the feed channel It, whereby to permit the interior'of the barrel 'to breathe freely through the passage 2! whenthe pen is in the act of being filled or emptied.

The pen is so constructed to be'utilized in connection with an ink receptacle 26, havinga stopper'or' cover 21 with a small opening 28 therein.

Figures 8, 9, 10 and 11 show a slightly different form of receptacle, but with a small opening for the passage of the ink, such as to permit of the holding of the ink therein by the action of surface tension when the receptacle is inverted in the manner shown in Figure 8.

In' the operation of'the device, the pen is first turned upside down, that is, with the'pen point; upward. The pin 23 is removed by first rotating the same a quarter of a turn to remove the locking lug 24 from the locking notch 25." The lug 24 thereupon presents a handle to: enable the pin 23 to be axially slid out of the air passage 2| along the groove 22. Such pin 23 is entirely separated from the pen, so as to: leave the passage 2| unimpeded. The pen point or nib 20 is then inserted in the hole or port 28 of the stopper 2i of the ink receptacle 26. 'Thereupon'both the pen and the fluid container are inverted to substantially the position shown in Figures 9 and 11, and they are so held in this position until the pen barrel IE is filled to the point desired. The fluid container 26 is then removed Referring more by raising it upward and laterally and then turning the same to an upright position. No fluid escapes during this operation due to the surface tension of the fluid acting on the side of the aperture 28 with sufficient force to hold all of the fluid in the container.

The air passage or port 21 is then closed by in-, serting and looking into place the pin 23 as has been previously described. The pen is then,

. attraction created by the point of the pen 2G,

causingthe fluid toflow down the customary and usual split in the nib to'the customary and usual ink channel l9 andinto the barrel of the pen. The ink flowing into the barrel causes the air it displaces to escape by the open port 21,

With the port 2| open, and the, pen held ver ticalwith the pen point downward, the barrel readily empties itself of fluid by the fluid passing out the ink channel. l9 and being replaced by air through the said open port 2i.

When the barrel and parts are dry, the filling is very rapid, but whenthey are damp, the filling requires a few seconds, the time required depending upon the size and shapeof the feed channel l9 and the aperture 2!,

If so desired, the fluid container may be inverted before inserting the pen point. But this is apt to permit a drop of fluid to escape making it necessary to be prepared for such an eventuality by having a blotter orother suitable object just below, to catch the small portion of fluid I that may escape. However, once so inverted, no

further escapage of the fluid occurs, and with the container so held inverted the pen point may be inserted or removed without theliability, or possibility of any fluid escaping. Also the container may be raised from the pen pointrand moved laterally without any. such escapaga In Figure 8, the container is shown in the inverted position with the opening preferably round and of approximately-one-eighth of 'an inch in diameter. When the bottle is thus held inverted, the fluid therein is retained in place by surface tension of fluid adhering to the sides of the aperture 28. V 1,

In Figure 9,'the next step in the method, the containeris shown in the inverted position with" the pen in, the filling position. It will be one derstood that the pin 23 is removedfrom-the pen before the pen has been placed in this filling position. The surface film of the is shown as adhering to the pointer the nib '20. The pen point has punctured thesurfa'ce tension filmand the film is now adhering to the point of thenib In-Figures 11 and 13 the parts arestill in the filling position. The point of the nib '20 has punctured the surface film and the ink is flowing down the feed channel l9 into the barrel l5by capillary attraction, the air entering the bottle or receptacle 26 by way of the slit in the .pen nib, as indicated by the arrowlmarkedfair. The surface tension'film is indicated at 3!). The entrance of the air upwardly into the ink receptacle-is'indicated at 3l,' and the point 32 indicates where the ink is escapingby capillary attraction and running downthe channel l9 into the barrel of the fountain pen. Air is escaping upwardly .from the barrel through the air passage 2|, as

shown by the arrows.

Figures 10 and 12 represent the emptying of the pen. The pin 23 is removed and the pen held either diagonally or vertically with the pen point downward over a receptacle or the like. The ink will flow down by capillary attraction out through the feed channel i9 and air will move upwardly through the passage 2! into the barrel to break the vacuum and to permit of the free flow of theink downwardly.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the'above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims; I

Whatis claimed is:'

l. A fountain pen comprising a barrel having a hollow extension, a feed device fitting through the extension and having the customary feed channel therein, a nib over said channel, said feed device also having an air passage therethrough with a groove extending in alignment with the air passage forwardly thereof, said feed device also having a locking notch at the side of said groove adjacent the mouth of the air passage, and a pin axially insertable in and removable from said air passage having a laterally extending lug on its outer portion adapted by partial rotation of said pin to move into and out of said locking notch. l y

2. In combination, areceptacle for int; having a relatively small opening and adapted to be inverted whereupon the surface tension of the fluid ink body across the small opening will retain the ink against flowing out of the receptacle, and a fountain pen having a pen-point adapted to freely pierce the film of surface tension when the receptacle is in the inverted position, said fountain pen having the usual feed groove and barrel communicating by means of the feed groove with the pen-point and adapted to receive ink from the receptacle flowing by gravity down the penpoint and through the feed groove, said pen also having an airbreathing passage through which air may be expelled from the barrel of the pen duringthe filling operation. I V

3. In combination, a receptacle forink having asmall opening therein across which a film of ink forms when the receptacle is inverted to prevent the fluid ink body from flowing freely out of the receptacle,-and afountain pen havinga barrel for containing ink, and a feedgdevice'conn'ected with the barrel and having the usual feed groove connecting with the interior of the barrel and lying beyond the feed device, a nibcovering the feed groove tandhaving a split portion communicating with the groove, said nib "adapted to be freely inserted in thersmall opening of the receptacle when the receptacle is inverted and the pen in a substantially upright position with the nib uppermost whereby to cause ink from --the receptacleto flow downjb-y gravity and capillary attraction'through thesplit portion of the nib, and the feed "groove 'in'th'e feed device, into the barrel, said feed device also. havingan air'breathing passage therein separate from the feed groove, and means for opening and closing 7 said air breathing passage. v

, W E RGE! 'HQ AR QSFIERHQUEI. 

